The Law of Equivalent Trade dominates the actions of Edward Elric, age 15, and Alphonse Elric, age 14. In order to gain something, one must present something of equal value, so says the Law. Ignoring these laws after their mother passed away from an illness, Ed and Alphonse researched their runaway father’s studies on the forbidden techniques of human transmutation to try and bring their mother back to life. The result: Al lost his body and Ed lost an arm and a leg. During their recovery, Colonel Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist, contacted them to tell the brothers to take a test that allows them to become Nationally Certified Alchemists. Ed does so, and learns of a Philosopher’s Stone that breaks the laws of alchemy. By obtaining this stone they can return to their normal bodies and a normal life. However, getting their hands on this legendary stone is no simple task.

From the looks of the first couple of episodes, it might not seem that Fullmetal Alchemist is an extraordinary series, but I promise you that it doesn’t take long for it to grab your attention only to beg for more. If you aren’t convinced by the third episode, a taste of FMA’s potential can be seen by the seventh episode.

From the art to the music everything is top notch. Smooth action scenes are abundant and never slacks in the quality, the gorgeous music only bolsters each scene and makes it that much more impressive. Whether it’s sorrow or dramatic, FMA’smusic delivers wonderful tunes that I couldn’t help but fall in love with. Add a talented seiyuu cast and you’re looking at a technically superb anime.

The technical aspects only complement what’s really at the core of this anime, which is the strong bond between the two brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric. Those with siblings can easily relate to their feelings. Each brother lives for each other and this purpose is their drive to succeed in the difficult path that they’ve chosen. Each blames himself and therefore each vehemently strives to restore the body of each other. Not only are the main characters good, but each character regardless which side they’re on, regardless if they’re evil or not is given each his own attention and it’s noticeable that a certain love was evident when making this series.

There are only a few minor things to complain about. There are times where the comedy of the series pops up at the most unfortunate of times. Also, I also felt that the first half of the last episode went by too fast. Finally, I felt that not the same level of care and justice were given to a couple characters when compared to others. Regardless the ending left me satisfied and even though it leaves open enough room for the movie, if it had ended that way, I would have been happy regardless. This is truly a fantastic piece of work and should be seen immediately.